Video summary
Justin Hall's journey began with a profound shift in perspective triggered by adaptive sports, which he describes as the most significant change of his life. After serving in the military, Hall suffered from undiagnosed neurological issues that culminated in a major autoimmune response in 2019, leaving him completely paralyzed and in a coma for two weeks. Initially believing he faced a death sentence with no future possibilities, Hall found himself deeply depressed until an opportunity arose to participate in adaptive sports. This intervention did not merely change his physical circumstances but fundamentally altered his mindset, allowing him to apply the resilience gained from overcoming difficult challenges to his daily existence.
The impact of adaptive sports extended beyond individual achievement to foster a deep sense of community and purpose that Hall had desperately needed. Through programs like the golf clinic, he was reintegrated into society, moving off the couch and back into an environment filled with incredible people and beautiful settings. The experience emphasized camaraderie, as participants cheered each other on while facing unique challenges, creating a supportive atmosphere where everyone could learn from one another. Hall noted that the group dynamic allowed him to see others succeeding and realize how incredible it was that they were hitting the ball, which helped restore his sense of independence and self-worth.
Hall's spirit remained upbeat even when he missed shots, demonstrating a competitive drive that had been dormant before his injury. The clinic provided a space for him to tap into this innate athleticism, allowing him to embrace new experiences, laugh with others, and continuously learn. He expressed gratitude for the constant growth and teaching offered by the program, which helped veterans adapt in various ways to regain their autonomy. For Hall, these activities proved that life could be amazing again if one allowed it to be, transforming his view from a world of limited possibilities to one filled with endless opportunities like skiing down mountains or playing on PGA courses.
Ultimately, Hall credits adaptive sports with saving his life and hopes that his story can inspire others facing similar struggles. He acknowledges that he often feels like a broken record when talking about the experience because its importance is so great to him. The realization that he could do hard things again gave him a renewed sense of freedom and joy, proving that even after being told there was no future, life could still hold immense value and potential. His blossoming as an athlete and his ability to connect with others highlight the transformative power of finding community and purpose through adaptive activities.
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adaptive sports was like the biggest
change of my life. I think the
realization that you can [music]
do those things and then psychologically
that does something for you.
I think adaptive [music] sports isn't
what changes your life. It changes your
perspective and you can apply
being able to do hard things to daily
life. I wouldn't say it's like a
conscious all the time thing you're
thinking about. It [music] just happens.
When I was in service,
um my left leg was going numb. At the
same time, I was having back issues. And
it wasn't until 2019
um when I got I had a major autoimmune
response um and was completely
paralyzed. I was in a coma for 2 weeks.
They never registered that
something neurological was going on
because that wasn't even on the radar. I
went to a neurologist when I was in the
army and they were like, "You're fine."
I wasn't thinking about
future because
I don't know I guess at that time I
wasn't thinking about there was a future
being told I had this disease and um I
thought it was a death sentence.
[snorts]
He was very depressed um and I was like
you know what I got this um adaptive
sports opportunity. Why don't you just
come out and hang out with us for a
little while? I was hoping he would find
community, purpose,
>> and doing adaptive sports has got me off
of the couch. It got me back in society.
That's crazy.
[music] All right, that's cool.
I guess when I get out on the golf
course, I feel free and you're
surrounded by [music] this incredible
golf course and amazing people. It's
just it's everything you want. I love
this [music] clinic. It's incredible to
be around other people. Um especially my
group. [music] Um cuz they're watching
me hit and I'm listening to them tell me
how incredible it is watching me hit and
all I can think watching them is how
incredible it is that they're hitting
it.
>> Good boy.
>> Yeah. This is a lot more team oriented
and social
like that camaraderie because you're all
you're each going through a different
challenge and overcoming it and we're
both like cheering [music] each other on
and it's yeah I got to meet Justin and
he's an incredible guy. I mean he's
[music] his spirit is so upbeat. He gets
out there nothing seems to bother him.
Even when he misses a ball he just okay
we'll do the next one. I mean he's
incredible person. And I wish we could
just clone them and put them out there
for everybody to share.
>> I love the golf clinic because it gives
people their independence back when they
didn't think they could.
>> I think there's still some [music] room
for growth, too. Um, and that's another
thing I love about this clinic is
[music] it's constantly growing and
teaching veterans other ways to adapt.
Um, so yeah, independence. It gives
everyone their independence back.
>> Great.
>> A one-word summary, but I feel like
there's so much to that.
>> He has just really blossomed. He is a is
an athlete. He was an athlete before all
of this. And I [music] think just kind
of tapping into that for him.
>> What does that look like?
>> Cuz I [music] was like, I wanted that to
win.
>> And he's super competitive. So he gets
that comp competition back and the
ability to just, you know, be with
people, laugh, have a good time, and
just embracing
trying something new, putting himself
out there, and um just learning.
>> I know what it did for my life. I try to
talk about it as much as I can. I feel
like a broken record. I [music] talk
about it all the time. It saved my life.
Hopefully, it can save someone else's.
>> I need it that way. I [music] used to
think that there that life was over like
there is no possibilities and now it's
just like
there are endless
to ski down a mountain and snow mass
to golf at a PGA course
like what is my life I constantly say
that you
>> it's insane how great life can be
[music] if you let